Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
LIFE IN KEY WEST.
TIE Peculiar State Of Society Existing
Among Its Mixed Populatiou.

The Peculiar State Of Society Existane
Among Its Mixed Popnlatios.
When it is found. the boarders would
consider New York clearinghouse,
darided as it so often is, palace in ac-
commodation for eating and sleeping
compared to one in Key West. The
streets are wide and dusty, for there
are no sprinklers. In fact, water is
such a luxury in the dry season that it
can not be wasted in sprinkling the
streets. 1t is rain water caught in cis-
terms when the heavens furnish a
supply, and is often carried from place
to place in pals supported by yoke
from the shoulders. An attempt was
one time made to dive an artesian
well. but the water when reached was
so brackish that it could only be used
for the extinguishing of fires. The
dust flies continually. The roadway
is hard, being the solid coral rock
itself. There is no surface soil. What
passes for soil is nothing more than
this rock ground up. 1t is a nice thing
to have blown over new black clothing,
and still a nicer thing to get out OF the
cloth afterward. The population con-
slsts manly or Cubans, Conchs and ne
grOes. The COnchs are in reality ma
tives of the Bahama Islands. but every
body in Key West calls them by that
name. The Cubans dislike the Conchs
and the Conchs detest the Cabans,
while both together hate the negroes.
A happy state Of society may therefore
be imagined. They are as distinct
as can be. but their localities
are known as Conchtown, Niggertown
and Cuban village. Each has its dis
tinct amusements, occupations and
turmoil. The few Americans seem to
be always planning how best to get
away from the island. Cigar-making
is the principal employment of the
Cubans. and there is plenty of work
for them. as Key West contains 125
cigar factories. 1t is said on good
authority that 100000 cigars APE
shipped away from the island every
year.
The Cuban IS not very STRONGHOLD
ing. His sports are gambling and
rooster-tightirg. The women are fair
ly good-lOoking, given to wearing
high heels, lace shawls and face pow
der. Both men and women smoke and
chatter like magpics. They stand
around in crowds and make noise
more like a lot of geese than human
beings. Their food is principally oil,
pork. bananas and coffee. Their coffee
is good. but made so strong that it
will stain the cup from from which it
is drunk. When in restaurant the
Cubans appear to talk all at once, each
trying, as it were. to drown the others
voice, and gesticulating rs if about to
strike each other on the face. The
odor of the Cuban restaurant is gener-
ally too strong for the Olfactory nerves
of one brought up in New York. The
Conchs are the fishermen of the ISL
and and the gatherers of sponges. They
are 4 large, rough class of men, and
apparently very ignorant. One marked
feature is their accent, which is con-
sidered characteristic of the LondOner
the dropping of the aspirate where
needed and using it exclusively where
not wanted. They use their fists when
fighting. while the Cubans are too
ready with the revolver or stiletto.
The negroes are employed in Key
West, as elsewhere. in mental labor.
Together these three races form very
mixed and far from harmonious society,
one that is not likely to be met with
anywhere else in the United States
Car. \. Y. Mail and Express.